


Lurking Beneath the Desert Sand

by OmgPandi



Series: Ferdibert 2020 Birthday Bash Fics [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: (mostly successful until the cavalry arrives), Attempted Kidnapping, Canon-Typical Violence, Diplomacy, Espionage, Established Relationship, Ferdibert Birthday Bash (Fire Emblem), M/M, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Post-Black Eagles Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:55:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23815741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OmgPandi/pseuds/OmgPandi
Summary: Ferdinand was in Morfis on a diplomatic mission. Hubert, on the other hand, was there for more pressing and dangerous matters.(Written for the Ferdibert Birthday Bash: April 24th - Vacation/Travel prompt!)
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Series: Ferdibert 2020 Birthday Bash Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1715971
Comments: 16
Kudos: 103
Collections: Ferdibert Birthday Bash 2020





	Lurking Beneath the Desert Sand

**Author's Note:**

> Because we know absolutely nothing concrete about Morfis, I decided to incorporate some of my own headcanons about the desert city/country. I'd like to imagine they have a senate and hold elections with each of those senators representing a different quadrant of the larger city-state as a whole.
> 
> Also I feel like this would happen at some point. Ferdinand and Hubert traveling to a foreign region/country for diplomacy (Ferdinand) and weeding out any enemies of the Empire (Hubert). Probably not for long periods of time though because Hubert likes to make sure nothing bad is happening inside the Palace.
> 
> Anyways, the title is probably more ominous than this really is but ????? 'Hollow' has been stuck in my head for ages it's such a good ending theme thank you FF7R--

“You know, this level of scrutiny could be considered quite rude,” Ferdinand whispered. Hubert grunted, continuing with his subtle check of the food the Morfis delegation had brought out for them. “We’ve been here for three days now. Surely if something were to happen, it would have by now.”

Ferdinand huffed as Hubert continued to ignore him. They were lucky that the senators surrounding them were too busy laughing and drinking their cups to notice Hubert’s behavior. After three days of diplomacy and negotiation, Ferdinand was quite sure that they were going to return to Enbarr with excellent news for Edelgard.

The dinner tonight was meant to celebrate a new alliance between Adrestia and Morfis. It took careful months of planning to get them to this point and now that the ink was dry on the documents, Ferdinand didn’t want anything to possibly go wrong.

Like accidentally offending their gracious hosts by accusing them of poisoning their food.

Sneaking a glance at Hubert, Ferdinand bumped his side under the table, hoping that the man would get the signal to _‘please behave before someone notices what you’re doing’_. He heard Hubert hiss under his breath and could feel the man’s yellow-green eyes on him, no doubt shooting him a glare for that one. He ignored it, however, in favor of taking a sip of the wine that was brought out not too long ago.

“So tell me,” one of the senators said, leaning on the table and giving Ferdinand a wide grin. “What is it like in Fódlan? I’ve heard that things are a bit wayward right now.”

“I suppose that’s one way of putting it,” Ferdinand chuckled, setting his cup of wine down. He’d have to ask for a bottle of this later. He had no doubts that either Professor Manuela or Lorenz would appreciate the taste. “We are currently in the process of enacting reforms to help stabilize both Adrestia and the former Kingdom and Alliance territories. It will take some time, but we’re confident that everything will roll out smoothly thanks to the cooperation of everyone involved.”

There was, of course, still the remnants of those loyal to Rhea somewhere in the Kingdom territories. That was going to have to be addressed at some point, but for now Edelgard had her eyes on another, more pressing group that needed to be dealt with.

Said group was the sole reason why Hubert and a few of his mages traveled with Ferdinand’s party to Morfis.

As Acting Prime Minister, Ferdinand was privy to certain meetings between Edelgard, Hubert, and Professor Byleth. His presence wasn’t always required, but Ferdinand appreciated the way Hubert would fill him in later--usually within the comforts of their own bedroom--on the matters discussed when his own meetings overlapped with theirs.

Ferdinand couldn’t relate to Edelgard’s trauma, but he felt the same righteous fury that the others felt when he learned what the woman went through.

(He also felt guilty, knowing that it was his father’s mechanisms that allowed something like this to happen to Edelgard and her siblings. His memories of the other royal children were foggy, but Ferdinand still visited their graves and apologized on behalf of his family name for the horrors inflicted upon them.)

According to Hubert’s spies, a ship of Agatharians was last seen sailing towards Morfis from a small port town along the eastern shores of the Adrestian Empire. The ship was drenched with their dark magic, which was how the spy was able to locate them. A ship of Agatharians traveling to Morfis was a cause of concern, especially since the country boasted some of the most powerful mages in history--their magic corps were famous and respected across Fódlan, especially by those who practiced black magic. 

Edelgard didn’t want Those Who Sliter in the Dark to gain powerful allies, nor did she want anyone else to be subjected to their experimentation. After all, what would happen if they tried their crest experimentation on magic users of that calibre? Would some of the more power hungry senators be willing to sacrifice their citizens in order to gain whatever abilities could result from that?

It was a coincidence that this was happening at the same time Ferdinand’s office finished finalizing plans to visit Morfis on a diplomatic mission. Or, at least, that’s what _Ferdinand_ thought. Hubert believed it wasn’t a mere coincidence, but with Professor Byleth’s shrug and Edelgard’s desire to come back with some sort of result--for either Ferdinand or Hubert--that thought process was put on hold until they actually reached Morfis.

“Ah yes, you all just got done with a war, yes?” Another senator asked. “Five years! Some of our merchants were worried that our revenue would be badly hit, but how fortunate that our services were still required.”

“Indeed,” Ferdinand agreed. “Trading is rather important after all!” Which was why new trade deals were on the agenda for those negotiations as well. It was a bit of a bother, but Ferdinand was lucky to have someone well-versed in the subject to help him make an informed decision. 

“I hope you’ve been enjoying your stay,” said another. A woman this time, one of the few female senators. From the months spent reading up on the political climate of Morfis, it was apparently a huge deal that someone like her was elected to her seat. “Our wonderful city holds many secrets and mysteries. Perhaps you’d enjoy visiting the marketplace at night! You can really see the night sky better.”

“That sounds delightful! What do you think, Hubert?”

Hubert remained out of most of the conversation, preferring that Ferdinand take over, so Ferdinand had to repress his amusement at seeing Hubert look caught off-guard by his question. “If we have the time.” He answered, pinching Ferdinand’s thigh in retaliation.

“Well--” Ferdinand started, swatting Hubert lightly under the table. “I think it would be a marvelous idea. If we have the time, I believe it would be something worth admiring.”

The woman gave a genuine smile, seeming pleased by Ferdinand’s eagerness. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the senators give the woman a subtle glare before schooling his expression again.

 _‘Suspicious,’_ Ferdinand thought, taking a sip of his wine. He used the opportunity to see if Hubert saw that as well and, judging by the way the man’s focus was razor sharp on the senator, he had.

Well. So much for remaining optimistic about the senators being uninvolved with their enemy.

* * *

“I need to transcribe what that woman told us,” Hubert started. As soon as they walked into their shared living quarters, because apparently one of his staff members let it slip out by accident that ‘the Prime Minister would prefer a queen-sized bed’ after they arrived in the city, Hubert took off his jacket and scurried over to the writing desk. “There must have been some sort of clue given the reaction she got from one of the senators.”

“His reaction was suspicious,” Ferdinand agreed, peering over Hubert’s shoulder. He watched him write something in the code he devised--one that Ferdinand was still in the process of learning, but slowly getting there. “Part of me wonders if it was due to some sort of jealousy over having our attention.”

“Doubtful. I’ve been tracking his movements since we arrived and my spies have been reporting his nightly activities to me.” Hubert grabbed his journal and opened one of the pages for Ferdinand, pointing at one of the sections. “He spends a few hours in a seemingly abandoned building in the outskirts of the city, closer to the desert.”

Ferdinand read over the passage, brows furrowing as he read the information. “Well.”

“Exactly. We leave tomorrow afternoon, so tonight would be my best chance of getting a closer look at what’s inside.”

“But won’t he expect that?” Ferdinand asked. “Given the woman’s suggestion--”

“Which is why it’s a good thing you and I both emphasized that we would do so if there was time,” Hubert interrupted. “As far as the senators are concerned, we could be packing and preparing ourselves for the voyage back to Fodlan tonight. This is why I wanted to bring us straight to our room instead of following the rest of them into the city to continue the celebration.”

Ferdinand blinked. “You really do think of everything.” He could feel the grin spreading across his face. “That’s the Empire’s tactician for you!”

“Yes, well--” Hubert coughed into his fist, ears tinting pink. Ferdinand smiled fondly at the action. The dark haired man really was too unused to genuine praise despite all of their best efforts. “I’ll be bringing a small group with me. Three of my mages plus myself should be enough to infiltrate the building and make note of anything Agatharian.”

He pursed his lips. “I suppose that means I cannot come with you?”

“It would be too suspicious if the Prime Minister was seen leaving our suite at such a late hour,” Hubert argued. “Meanwhile my reputation, apparently, proceeds me.”

Ferdinand snorted. “Who would have thought that those stories about the big bad shadow man of Enbarr would reach as far as Morfis.”

“Don’t start,” Hubert groaned. “Those children have been told exaggerated tales.”

“I think Dorothea was correct when she said you can be quite ferocious at times,” Ferdinand joked, laughing as he avoided a swat from Hubert.

“I’ll show you ferocious,” Hubert muttered threateningly, although Ferdinand could tell it was an empty one. “You’re distracting me. Go take a soak in the bath or catch up on some reading. I need to finish writing this before I leave.”

Ferdinand rolled his eyes, but bent down to place a kiss at the top of Hubert’s head, earning a startled noise from the man. He walked towards the in-suite bath before Hubert could retaliate, a pleased smile on his face as he started running the bath water.

* * *

By the time Ferdinand was done with his bath, Hubert wore one of his darker cloaks--if that was at all possible--and was one foot out the door. He bid Ferdinand a goodnight before leaving, placing a shy kiss on his cheek and quickly turning to glare at the three mages in front of him. Despite the masks they wore, Ferdinand could tell that the shorter one was smirking while the slightly taller one shifted uncomfortably where he stood. Whether it was from seeing his employer freely show affection to Ferdinand or the fact that Ferdinand was only in a bathrobe at the moment, he wasn’t sure.

After drying his hair and styling it into a loose ponytail, Ferdinand dressed himself in a pair of trousers and one of Hubert’s shirts, taking mild comfort in the smell of Hubert’s favorite coffee beans. He supposed he could catch up on some of the correspondences from their friends--mostly early well-wishes for his birthday that would be, unfortunately, spent on the boat back to Enbarr.

 _‘Hopefully we’ll be able to properly celebrate when we return,’_ Ferdinand thought. There was an upcoming show at the opera house that Ferdinand _desperately_ wanted to see, especially since it would be starring both Professor Manuela and Dorothea as the leads. Judging by the description Dorothea gave him the week prior to their voyage, it sounded like it would be an amazing show!

Ferdinand smiled as he read through some of the letters. Lorenz’s, especially, made his heart swell in happiness. He felt grateful to have such a caring group of friends, given his rather lonely upbringing back at the Aegir estate.

Just as he finished reading through Caspar’s excited letter, he heard the sound of something clicking in the other room. Snapping his head up in attention, Ferdinand placed the letter down and slowly pulled open the drawer that he knew Hubert hid a knife in earlier in their stay. If this was some sort of intruder, then Ferdinand wanted to be as prepared as possible, especially since his lance was foolishly left in the other room.

Creeping towards the doorway, Ferdinand peaked through the crack in the door to see if he could spot the intruder. From this angle, it was hard to see, but he could make out the heavy cloak that the figure wore as they inspected the room. Their gaze eventually landed on Ferdinand’s lance, seemingly in a trance at the sight of a sacred weapon.

Reaching a hand out to slowly open the door, Ferdinand felt his breath catch in his throat when he heard the door creak in response. Quickly, he retracted his hand, hoping that the intruder didn’t see him--

“There you are,” a voice said, grabbing Ferdinand’s arm and pulling him. “The one with the Crest of Cichol, yes? What a wonderful find, indeed.”

Before the man could do anything else, Ferdinand brought the knife down and stabbed the man’s arm, retching himself away as the man yelled in agony. The knife was still plunged in the man’s arm and Ferdinand heard him hiss as he pulled it from the wound.

“And here I was under the impression that you were the _docile_ one,” the man hissed, eyeing the blood that dripped down his arm. Ferdinand felt uneasy seeing the blood tinted a dark purple color, almost black in the low lighting. “How unsurprising. You’re just as much of a beast as the rest of your kind.”

“What do you want?” Ferdinand asked, searching the room for anything he could use as a weapon. Surely Hubert hid something within his reach?

“Isn’t it obvious?” The man asked, an unsettling smile on his face. “With Cichol and his daughter in hiding once more, the most obvious source for their blood is you humans.”

 _‘So they plan to drain me of my blood,’_ Ferdinand realized. This was something Edelgard and Byleth had warned him about, given that of Ferdinand’s remaining family, he was the only one that bore a Crest. None of his sisters had one, which Ferdinand felt grateful for at the moment. He didn’t like the image of these slithery men and women coming into his home and kidnapping Roseline or Astrid, nor his elder sister Charlotte.

“Our job would have been easier had the Emperor’s dog not come along as well,” the man continued, palm crackling with a spell. “But at least he’s distracted for the time being with that pitiful senator.”

Ferdinand swore under his breath, diving out of the way of the spell. He’s watched Hubert in action enough to recognize a Miasma spell and he knows how much it hurts to get hit by one. 

He was hopeful that one of the nearby guards would be alerted by the noise, but as the minutes passed without someone charging in, Ferdinand realized that he was on his own for this. If it was the senator that Hubert was suspicious of, then it was likely the guards were bought off tonight.

“Urg!” Ferdinand grunted, feeling the dark swirls of magic hit his leg, causing him to collapse.

‘This will not be good,’ Ferdinand thought, hissing from the pain. He felt his body start to go numb and his vision black out. ‘A sleep spell then?’

“We’ll need to be quick,” the man said. Ferdinand heard footsteps approach him, lighter than the mage that attacked him. “If the Emperor’s dog arrives before we’re finished…”

The bright light of a teleportation spell was the last thing Ferdinand saw before he fell into the abyss. He hoped that Hubert would be able to find him soon before it was too late.

* * *

Ferdinand groaned, feeling himself come back up from the sleep spell. He could hear distant yells and Ferdinand snapped his head to attention as soon as he could feel himself move easier.

His arms were strapped down, and he could see an assortment of items resting on the table next to him. He felt uneasy seeing the instruments, recognizing them as some of the ones Hubert used during his interrogations.

“Ah, Prime Minister!” A female voice called out. He felt relieved to see the familiar mask of one of Hubert’s mages. “Oh good, we finally found you! There were a couple of Morfis mages that we ran into before finding you, but thankfully they mentioned the Agatharians bringing in a man with amber hair.”

The woman stepped closer, grabbing a hold of the bindings and setting him free. Slowly, he started sitting up with her help, letting out a relieved sigh. “Thank you,” Ferdinand said. He felt the woman squeeze his shoulder, silently giving him comfort. He squinted his eyes at her, trying to see if he could make out who it was under the mask.

Apparently, the woman must have noticed his staring because she tilted her head. “It’s Vivian, Prime Minister von Aegir.” She sounded immensely amused, giving a tiny giggle when she saw the light pink that dusted across his cheeks.

“Ah o-of course! I knew that.” He tried giving her a slight smile, but it probably came out more like a grimace than anything else.

She gave an unimpressed hum, clearly not believing him. “If you say so,” she said, turning to face the cell door. “This would be easier if Robert was here…”

She was a petite woman and Ferdinand knew that he was both taller _and_ heavier than her. It would be difficult to move him without any help. “I can try--”

“In all due respect, sir, I would prefer to bring you to Minister von Vestra with very few scratches.” She interrupted. “Well, less scratches than you already have.”

Just then, another one of Hubert’s mages appeared. He was taller, and much broader than the typical magic user. “Viv? Are you-- Oh hey you found him!” The man exclaimed, stepping into the cell and taking her place next to him. “Let me help you, Prime Minister.”

Before Ferdinand could try protesting any further, the man grabbed him underneath his legs and lifted him up bridal style. He gave a startled yelp in response, which made the two magic users in the room laugh under their breaths. Well, more like cackle, but still.

 _‘Yes,’_ he thought. _‘They are definitely employed by Hubert.’_

As they walked down the halls, Ferdinand felt mildly impressed by the fact that the man--Robert?--was hardly breaking a sweat as he carried Ferdinand. Luckily, Ferdinand was starting to feel his legs again, so hopefully he could convince the two soon to let him actually walk by himself.

He did, however, notice that all the other cell doors were blown wide open, the occupants long gone. He saw a few scattered bodies of the Slitherers in the halls and Ferdinand pursed his lips, ignoring the dark purple-black blood oozing out.

Unsettling. _Very_ unsettling.

“We found him, sir,” the man said, stepping into the main room. He started setting Ferdinand’s legs down with care, but was still helping him keep upright. “There were a few Agatharians along the way, but otherwise everything went fine.”

“Good,” Hubert answered. Ferdinand squinted his eyes to make out the figuring lying on the ground at Hubert’s feet. They were breathing heavily, but then Ferdinand recognized the figure as the man he confronted in their room. “It seems your plans were foiled.” He taunted, pushing the man down with his foot. “Such a shame.”

“If you think… this is the only base we have here… then you’re sadly mistaken…” the man hissed. “We--”

“Have allies here?” Hubert interrupted. He clicked his tongue, pulling out a document from his pocket. “I’m afraid that won’t be true for very long. My spies and I took the liberty of looking through your study. These correspondences are very helpful to weed out all those traitors in the senate.”

Ferdinand tried moving to step closer, startling the mage holding him up. He did, however, let him go when it became clear that Ferdinand needed to be over there next to Hubert.

Hubert briefly turned his head to look at Ferdinand, subtly roaming his eyes over his form--likely looking for any marks. His shoulders seemed to relax a bit, satisfied with whatever he saw. He held out the letter for Ferdinand to read, which he readily took.

“Your biggest mistake was underestimating us,” Hubert continued. Ferdinand peeked up from the letter to see the smirk on Hubert’s face and quickly looked away. Now was hardly the time to admire Hubert. “And then having the gall to try kidnapping our Prime Minister. Is it safe to assume that knife stab in your arm is from him? Another moment of carelessness, indeed.”

The man hissed again, but Hubert paid it no mind. His palm crackled with dark magic and he aimed it down at the man. “Unfortunately, I cannot kill you. Whatever information you have would be quite useful.”

“I won’t talk,” the man spat, clenching his side.

Hubert smirked again, snapping his fingers as a powerful wave of dark magic washed over the man at his feet. “That’s what they all say.”

The man screamed, echoing through the stone walls. It trailed off, slowly, as the man fell unconscious, slumping on the ground.

As Hubert adjusted his glove, Robert stepped forward to heave the man over his shoulder, grunting from the weight. He nodded to Vivian and the other cloaked man, who was standing a ways away from the scene. His body language looked uncomfortable and he quickly followed after Robert. Vivian gave a curt nod to Hubert and him before trailing after the other two, her heeled boots echoing on the stone flooring.

Ferdinand sighed, finishing the last line of the letter. He ran his hand through his hair, already sensing the upcoming issues surrounding this. “Well, this night was a disaster.”

“On that, we can agree,” Hubert muttered, adjusting the last of his clothing before he turned to face Ferdinand. There was a worried crease in his forehead and his bottom lip seemed red from being bitten at. “Are you alright?” he whispered, stepping closer to Ferdinand and reaching a hand out to rest under his chin. 

Ferdinand let Hubert move his head from side to side, inspecting him for any injuries. “I am about as well as anyone can be who was just kidnapped,” he said, giving Hubert a small smile. “I don’t feel any pricks in my arm, so I don’t believe they got the chance to drain me of any blood.”

He watched as Hubert let out a relieved sigh, shoulders slumping. His hand moved away from the underside of his chin to rest on his arm while the other was hovering his waist. “Good,” he breathed out.

They stood there a moment longer, taking in each other’s presence. Truthfully, Ferdinand didn’t feel quite as well as he would like. There were still faint traces of that sleep spell, but Ferdinand felt more mentally exhausted than anything.

Apparently, Hubert must have seen it because he stepped closer, pushing a strand of orange hair out of Ferdinand’s face and behind his ear. “We’d ought to get you back. The fallout of this can be dealt with tomorrow or when we return to Enbarr.”

Ferdinand nodded, too tired to bother disagreeing. He might end up regretting it if they did wait until they were back home; the number of letters back and forth between his office and the various senators would be tedious to go through.

Hubert muttered a spell under his breath and Ferdinand saw the same lights of a teleportation spell. Unlike the last one he was forced to take, Ferdinand felt calmer knowing it was Hubert taking him to their suite.

* * *

“Quite a way to celebrate the eve of my birthday,” Ferdinand mumbled into the pillow, watching as Hubert changed into his nightwear. “I have to say, I must have horrible luck.”

“Your birthday isn’t for another few days,” Hubert retorted, buttoning up the last few buttons of his shirt.

“We had the mock battle between the houses back in the academy,” Ferdinand continued, ignoring Hubert’s response. “Which, granted, wasn’t that bad. But there was also the Battle at the Tailtean Plains and storming Fhirdiad the day before during the last year of the war…” He paused, frowning. “I think my birthday is cursed.”

“Your birthday is not cursed,” Hubert deadpanned, coming to lie down on his side of the bed. “That all is just a coincidence.”

“Maybe one of Dorothea’s fortune teller friends can tell me,” he said, turning to face Hubert. “I’m serious Hubert, aside from those three events, there has always been _something_ that happens on the eve of my birthday!”

“Right,” Hubert drawled, blowing out the candle on his side. He turned to face Ferdinand, a thoughtful expression on his face. “If you’re so worried about it, then perhaps I’ll accompany you.”

“You just don’t want me out of your sight for a while,” Ferdinand countered, laughing when he saw the face Hubert made. “Sorry, darling, but you can be quite easy to read.”

“You have no idea how worried I felt when we saw you get carried in by those people,” Hubert mumbled, rubbing his thumb along Ferdinand’s side. “I feared the worst.”

“I knew you would be right behind me,” Ferdinand assured, bringing Hubert’s scarred hand up to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss on his fingers. “At the worst, I would have only lost a bit of blood.”

“Unfortunately, it would have been enough,” Hubert muttered, red flush on his face at Ferdinand’s gentle actions. “But you are right, I won’t be letting you out of my sight anytime soon.”

“Does that mean you’ll be accompanying me on my morning rides for a while?” he teased, grinning at the way Hubert’s face scrunched up. “If you must know, Midnight is a wonderful horse and I’m sure she won’t mind being taken out for a ride once and awhile.”

Hubert rolled his eyes, but didn’t object, which Ferdinand counted as a win. It was rare he managed to get Hubert to agree to go on rides with him, especially since most animals didn’t seem to like Hubert’s presence--except for the cats that roamed the monastery grounds and stray Aegir Hound.

“Sleep,” Hubert whispered, caressing his face. “We can talk more in the morning.”

“You better not do any paperwork while I’m asleep,” Ferdinand mumbled, eyes drooping. “I mean it, otherwise I’ll tell Edelgard.”

“A solid threat,” Hubert joked, laughing softly. “But fine, I’ll comply.”

Ferdinand hummed, feeling content as he drifted farther off into sleep. He scooted his body closer to Hubert’s, resting his head on the man’s arm and his arm over his chest.

The aftermath could wait until tomorrow. For now, Ferdinand just wanted to remain here with Hubert.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this! <3  
> You can also come talk to me over [@pandabuddha1](https://twitter.com/pandabuddha1) on Twitter about Ferdibert and Fire Emblem in general! <3


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